Kodiak taxi driver’s killer gets 77 yearsA man who murdered a Kodiak cab driver in 1997 over $7 was sentenced in Anchorage to 77 years in prison after his February 2015 convictions on drug-trafficking conspiracy, kidnapping and firearm charges, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. Phosavan Khamnivong, a.k.a. “P.K.,” was 17 when he was convicted for the murder of Kodiak taxi driver Felicisimo “Jimmy” Butron, 36, in November 1997. Khamnivong together with Jame...

‘The Odyssey’ challenges Kodiak youthsAbout 20 Kodiak students took on the challenge of producing the epic poem “The Odyssey” as a play over just three weeks of rehearsals. One of the Kodiak Arts Council’s Sum’Arts camps for kids taught by Michelle Griffin, Curtain Call gives students in 5th through 10th grade the responsibility to manage all aspects of a production, including costumes, set design and lighting, during a short time frame. The plot of “...

Details emerge in close-quarters pistol shooting of 1,000-pound bear in Kodiak The Kodiak homeowner who used a revolver to shoot and kill a 9-foot, 1000-pound bear was about 15 meters or 49 feet away from the animal when it charged toward him, forcing him to open fire, a biologist said. After receiving five rounds of .44-Magnum ammunition, the bear stopped about 3 meters, less than 10 feet, from where the homeowner was standing. The homeowner then fired the last round. Fish and Game biologis...

Matt SuccessBy DEREK CLARKSTON Mirror Writer If Nolan Wandersee’s parents had it their way, he wouldn’t have wrestled in high school. In their eyes, wrestling is a sport littered with injuries. Nolan had his share of bumps and bruises, but that didn’t stop him from pursuing his dream — wrestling in college. “It is his passion and he loves it,” his mother, Helen said. On a cloudy Tuesday afternoon, Nolan’s dream became a reali...

Bill Bissett remembers rancher Omar StratmanThe late Omar Stratman was a quiet man, recalls his ranch hand, Bill Bissett. The two drove from Kodiak to Omar’s ranch at Pasagshak, some 30 miles away, without Omar uttering a single word. Omar had few words to share with strangers and even those who worked closely with him. But with his tender, quiet voice, he could calm a nervous, penned-up horse. “He had the right moves,” Bill said. “Pretty soon he could put ...

Everyone gets an invitation to heavenHunkered down at Monk’s Rock Coffee Shop on a rainy day (t’s about time it rained again! whew! the salmon need it!), I am reflecting on salvation, as I munch on a bagel with hummus. Both are homemade. Mmm. Probably not the salvation. In fact, if there’s one thing I am certain of, it is that salvation is a not a homemade, self-made project. There’s a book here in the gift shop called The Art of Salvation, sealed in...

Tools and Tips for foraging successPeople have been stopping me around town in the middle of my errands, like, you know, shoveling seaweed and buying shotgun shells, to ask questions about foraging. Most of the queries regard what resources I use and how to correctly identify plants. Curiosity and timidity make sense. As a nation we’ve spent the post-World War II decades trying to escape the labor of raising our own animals and growing vegetables. ...

Former Kodiak resident releases bio-medical thriller set in Afognak DAILY MIRROR REPORT MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Run. Fight. Die. Those are your options. In James Rains new thriller, “Afognak” is under attack from an unknown and deadly force. The citizens must decide on a plan of attack to survive. Rains’ writing style will mesmerize the reader, while his research will make them want to discover more about Alaska and its fascinating history. “This book is fun and the reader will inves...

Washington fugitive arrested in Kodiak A 43-year-old man wanted in Washington on an extraditable warrant on charges of assault with a deadly weapon has been arrested in Kodiak, the Alaska State Troopers reported Thursday. Michael Sholund, a Washington resident, was in community custody in the state of Washington after he pleaded guilty to charges of theft of firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm, and two counts of second-degree assault with a deadl...

Man found dead aboard Kodiak fishing vesselA 61-year-old man was found dead aboard a fishing vessel docked in Larsen Bay, but investigators found nothing suspicious, a state trooper report said Wednesday. Steven King of Randle, Washington died of “apparent natural causes” aboard the fishing vessel, the report said. The Larsen Bay medical provider for Icicle Seafood Inc. notified the Alaska State Troopers in Kodiak of the death at around 6:30 a.m. Tuesday. ...